Governor for steam-engines.



- No. 678,469. Patented luly I6, I901.

F. A. HEADSON. GOVERNOR FOB STEAM ENGINES. (Application filed Kay 28, 1900. (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Shoot l.

Jinan 1 0)".

IIIIIINIW' No. 678,469. Patented Julyl6, 190i.

F. A. HEADSON.

' GOVERNOR FDR STEAM ENGINES.

(Application filedmay 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets--Sheet- 2.

i W nurmq Zhearw. [Faye/72% UNIT D STATES PATENT EFICE- FRANK A. I-IEADSON, OF LAFAYETTE, IN DIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEO POTTLITZER, HERMAN POTTLITZER, MAX POTTLITZER, AND JULIUS POTTLITZER, OF SAME PLACE.

GOVERNOR FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No: 678,469, dated July 16, 1901. Application filed May 28, 1900. Serial ll'o. 18,221. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. HEADSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lafayette, in the county of Tippecanoe and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Governors for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates particularly to that class of governors known as fly-wheel governors, as they are adapted to be used with e11- gines of the rotary type, all of which will more full hereinafter appear.

The principal object of the invention is to 15 provide a rotary engine with a governor of the fiy-wheel type and adapted by the rotations of the fly-wheel to operate one or more cut-off valves and regulate or control the admission of motive fluid; and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the irregular line 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a sectional View of a portion of the mechanism taken on line 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow, and Fig. 3 a detail view of the camhub and other parts hereinafter more fully described.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known thatheretofore the principal objection to the use of rotary engines is that they are great steam eaters, in that the steam had to be generally admitted at full pressure 3 5 throughout the entire stroke or rotation, the

result being a large consumption of fuel utterly disproportionate to the work done.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a rotary engine 0 with meansby which thecut-oifmaybe obtained and at any desired point or points during the rotation of the piston and in the most sensitive manner possible, all 'of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

In illustrating and describing the present invention I will only illustrate and describe those parts which I consider to be new, taken in connection with so much as is old as will properly disclose the invention and enable those skilled in the art to practice the same,

leaving out of consideration other and wellknown parts, which if illustrated and described herein would only tend to prolixity, confusion, and ambiguity. For a fuller description of the engine and the working parts I refer all who may be interested in obtaining more detailed drawings and description to the patent issued to me April 24, A. D. 1900, No. 648,124, in connection with which this invention is intended to be used.

In constructing and using a governor in accordance with these improvements a rotary piston a is provided of the desired size and shape, and which is preferably provided with two or more steam pockets or chambers 1), arranged diametrically opposite each other. In each of these pockets is arranged a cut-off 0, adapted to be moved substantially longitudinally of the piston and varying the size of the steam-pocket, so that the cut-off of the steam may be arranged as desired, all of which is described more in detail in the Letters Patent above noted. In order to operate this cut-ofi at any and all times and in as sensitive manner as possible, afiy-wheel governor is provided, composed of a fly-wheel securely mounted upon, so as to be rotated by, the main shaft 6 of the engine, and to which is also secured a rotating piston. This fly-wheel is provided with, preferably, two weighted levers f, pivoted to the arms of the fly-wheel at points diametrically opposite each other, so that as the fly-wheel rotates centrifugal force is developed to throw said levers outwardly. In order that such levers may be held at theirinward motion, two centripetal-acting springs g are provided,one end of which is secured to each of the weighted levers and at the other ends pivotally secured to the rim of the fly-wheelall of which is go shown very fully in the drawings. One of the levers is provided with a yielding rod, formed preferably of a tension-spring h, the other end of which rod is provided with a pis-' ton 7), operating in a cylinder j, acting as a 5 dash-pot, the parts being so constructed and arranged as to prevent sudden changes of position and permit the parts to act in an even or steady manner.

In order to transmit the movement of the mo weighted levers of the governor to the cutoff valves and operate the same, a valve-rod 7c is provided and connected by means of a strap Z, which is arranged within the space m,

formed by the cap and the main body of the piston and two auxiliary rods n with the cutoff valves. The main valve-rod 7.; extends through an axial opening in the main shaft and is provided with a pin or lug, which extends transversely through an elongated opening 1) in the main shaft. Rotatably mounted upon the main shaft is a cam-hub q, which is provided with a cam-groove r, with which the projecting pin of the valverod is engaged. The weighted levers are pivotally connected with this cam-hub by means of links .9, (shown in Fig. 2,) so that when the weighted levers are moving outwardly or inwardly the cam-hub is rotated; and according to the shape of the groove the valve-rod is pushed inwardly or outwardly to vary the size of the steam-pockets in the rotatable piston.

I claim- 1. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a rotatable piston, valves for cutting off the steam-pressure at the desired point in the stroke or rotation of the piston, a main shaft, a fly-wheel governor mounted on the main shaft and rotatable therewith composed of a fly-wheel, weighted lever mechanism pivotally secured thereto, a hub portion rotatably mounted adjacent to the fly-wheel, and a Valve-rod extending through the main shaft to the rotary hub and connected with the hub and the cut-off valves for operating such cut-off valves when the weighted lever mechanism is operated, substantially as described.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a rotatable piston provided with a steam pocket or pockets, means substantially the valves described for varying the size of the steam-pockets, a main shaft to which the rotatable piston is secured, a valve-stem for operating the cut-off Valves, a fly-wheel mounted upon the shaft, Weighted lever mechanism as described secured to the fly-wheel and adapted to be operated as described, a rotatable hub freely mounted upon the main shaft so as to have independent rotations and means connecting the rotatable hub with the valve-stem whereby the valve is moved during the rotation of the hub to operate the pocket-varying mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In mechanisms of the class described, the combination of a rotatable piston provided with steam pockets or chambers, valves mounted therein for Varying the size of the steam-pockets thereby regulating the cut-01f of the steam-pressure, a main shaft upon which the rotatable piston is mounted, a valvestem connected with the cut-off valves extending axially through the main shaft, a flywheel secured to the main shaft so as to rotate therewith, a cam-hub freely mounted upon the main shaft, weighted lever mechanis ms pivotally connected with the fly-Wheel and rotatable cam-hub to operate the same during their centrifugal and centripetal motions as described, a pin or similar element connecting the valve-stem and the cam portions of the cam-hub and extending out through an elongated groove in the main shaft whereby the cut-off valves are operated, substantially as described.

FRANK A. HEADSON.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. FORESMAN, Jr., HANNAH MEYER. 

